A Shipwreck of the Future
The Library of Congress posted these imaginings of what the future would look like. Here is what they called a shipwreck of the future.
It reads:
A shipwreck of the future, when passengers are carried between Europe and America in the air.
Liner Icarus, in mid-ocean, December 26, 1919, 3:10 pm. By wireless to The Tribune: A disastrous explosion (cause yet unascertained) in our motor room at 5:12 this morning made it necessary to descend. Unfortunately, the waves were running high and our rudder was broken. Wind increased rapidly and our stern was battered till we threatened to sink. Our airships have come to our rescue, as have some submarines and freight steamer Lusitania, formerly used for passengers. All hands will be saved beyond a doubt, except those in the motor room, which is now submerged.
This was published in 1909, so they have set this future in 1919, almost twenty years before the tragic Hindenberg disaster. Unfortunately, the Lusitania didn’t last until 1919 because it sank in 1915. The first solo transatlantic flight didn’t even happen until 1923, thanks to Charles Lindbergh.
I find it fascinating to see how the past viewed the future. Now that we can fly across the ocean whenever we want, it’s hard for me to remember that it used to take MONTHS on the Lusitania.